Israeli AI sports co HEED raises $35m

HEED uses AI to identify a game’s most exciting moments and IoT-based data analytics to generate exclusive new insights.

Israeli sports AI platform HEED Technology Ltd. today announced a $35 million financing round led by SoftBank Group International. The investment will boost HEED’s expansion as it partners with sports clubs and leagues around the world to create deeper connections with mobile fans.

With offices in Herzliya, Israel and New York, HEED was co-founded by AGT International and Endeavor. The company uses AI to identify a game’s most exciting moments and IoT-based data analytics to generate groundbreaking exclusive new insights and automatically deliver them in near real-time to fans’ mobile devices.

Beyond analyzing the physical elements of a sporting event, HEED goes even deeper to unlock the emotional and behavioral realities of live sports events. This investment represents a major milestone for HEED, as it extends the development of its platform to create exciting new experiences connecting fans to the best moments in soccer, MMA, basketball and other sports categories.

HEED cofounder and owner of AGT International Mati Kochavi said, “Technology has evolved tremendously in interpreting the physical world. HEED is harnessing this to create a new sports fan experience. This was the driving force behind our vision - to create a platform that uses AI and IoT to deliver the best and exclusive sports moments in near real time."

HEED CEO Danna Rabin said, "At HEED, we see a world in which live events become global digital experiences, spectators become participants, and stats become stories. The platform we’ve built provides league and team partners with an innovative way to grow their fan-bases across different geographies, demographics and sports categories and engage with them in a different way. This investment is an exciting step forward for us as we transform the future of sports for our partners and their global fans.”

SoftBank Group International president and CFO Alok Sama said, “By leveraging AI and IoT, HEED has developed a unique platform that is changing the way fans watch and interact with sports. HEED is taking a traditionally static experience and providing fans with deeper insights into the physical and emotional aspects of the sporting event by gathering and analyzing large, complex data in real time. We are excited to partner with Mati and the team as they continue developing and enhancing this revolutionary technology.”